Wheels and tires
192
Run-flat tires*
You will recognize run-flat tires by a circular
symbol containing the letters RSC on the
side of the tire.
The run-flat tires consist of self-supporting
tires and special rims. The tire reinforce-
ment ensures that the tire retains some
residual safety in the event of pressure
drop and driving remains possible to a
restricted degree.
Continuing driving with a damaged
tire
Driving on run-flat tires can continue,
depending on the vehicle load and the
severity of the tire damage, at a maximum
speed of 50 mph/80 km/h.
In the case of complete inflation pressure
loss, 0 psi/kPa, or obvious tire damage,
you can estimate the possible distance for
continued driving on the basis of the fol-
lowing guide values:
>With low load:
1 to 2 persons without luggage:
Approx. 155 miles/250 km
>With medium load:
2 persons, luggage compartment full, or
4 persons without luggage:
Approx. 90 miles/150 km
>With full load:
More than 4 persons, luggage compart-
ment full:
Approx. 30 miles/50 km.
Drive reservedly and do not exceed a
speed of 50 mph/80 km/h. With infla-
tion pressure loss, the driving characteris-
tics change, for example reduced track
stability on braking, extended braking dis-tance, and altered self-steering character-
istics.
For safety reasons BMW recommends that
you do not have damaged run-flat tires
repaired, and that you go to a BMW center
in this case.<
New wheels and tires
Only have new wheels and tires
mounted by a specialist. If this work is
not carried out properly, there is a danger
of subsequent damage and related safety
hazards.<
You can ask your BMW center for the right
wheel and tire combination. Have the
wheel and tire assemblies balanced every
time either a wheel or a tire is replaced.
The correct wheel and tire combination
affects various systems whose function
would otherwise be impaired, e.g. ABS
or DSC.
BMW does not recommend the use of
retread tires, as otherwise driving
safety may be reduced. Possible variations
in the design and the age – which could be
substantial – of the carcasses can lead to
unusually rapid wear.<
The right wheels and tires
BMW recommends that you use only
wheel and tire combinations that
BMW has tested and approved for your
particular vehicle. Variations in factors such
as manufacturing tolerances mean that
even wheels and tires with identical official
size ratings could actually have different
dimensions than the approved units – these
differences could lead to body contact, and
with it the risk of severe accidents. If non-
approved wheels and tires are used, BMW
cannot evaluate their suitability, and there-
fore cannot be held liable for driving
safety.<
To maintain good handling and vehicle
response, use only tires of a single tread
configuration from a single manufacturer.
After a flat tire, always remember to have
the original wheel and tire combination
Replacing components
206 3.Check and correct the tire inflation
pressure at the earliest opportunity
Protect valve stems and valve
stem seal caps against dirt and
contamination. Dirt in valve stems is a
frequent source of gradual air loss.<
4.Reinitialize the Flat Tire Monitor, refer
to page 96
5.Replace the damaged tire with a new
one as soon as possible and have the
new wheel balanced.
Driving with spare tire
On certain wheel-tire combinations,
the size of the spare tire deviates from
that of the rest of the tires. The spare tire is
fully capable of running in all load and
speed ranges. However, to recreate the
original conditions, the tire should be
replaced as soon as possible.<
Run-flat tires*
You will recognize run-flat tires by a circular
symbol containing the letters RSC on the
side of the tire. They consist of self-con-
tained tires and special rims. The tire rein-
forcement ensures that the tire retains
some residual safety in the event of pres-
sure drop and driving remains possible to a
restricted degree. The vehicle is equipped
with a Flat Tire Monitor which indicates
punctures.
The reinforcement on the flanks of the
tires means that it is usually not pos-
sible to detect an air loss from outside.<
Flat tire
If you have a flat tire, the indicator lamp
symbol in the Check Control will light up in
red, and a message will appear. In addition,
a gong sounds.
You can find more detailed information on
the Flat Tire Monitor on page96.
Reduce vehicle speed carefully to under
50 mph/80 km/h, avoiding hard brake
applications and steering maneuvers.
If the defective wheel is not recognizable as
such immediately, check the inflation pres-
sure in all four tires.
For reasons of safety, do not arrange
for run-flat tires to be repaired. Your
BMW center has the information needed
for working with these tires and is equipped
with the necessary special tools.<
Continuing driving with a damaged
tire
Driving on run-flat tires can continue
depending on the vehicle load and the
severity of the tire damage, at a maximum
speed of 50 mph/80 km/h. You can deter-
mine the possible mileage for continued
driving on the basis of the following general
indications:
>Tire inflation pressure 0 psi/kPa:
With empty vehicle approx. 90 miles/
150 km
With full payload approx. 30 miles/
50 km
>Tire inflation pressure 7 psi/50 kPa to
15 psi/100 kPa:
Approx. 300 miles/500 km
>Tire inflation pressure greater than
15 psi/100 kPa:
Approx. 600 miles/1,000 km.
Drive reservedly and do not exceed a
speed of 50 mph/80 km/h. In the case
of air loss, you can expect changes in vehi-
cle handling such as reduce lane stability,
longer braking distances, and changes in
self-steering properties.<
